Personal (ind Scienfijic News. lv?7 
Abram Ge^ner; A review of his scieutijic ivork, G. F. Matthew. (Bul- 
letin XV, Nat. Hist. Soc. New Brunswick, 1897.) This is a companion 
and supplement to Bulletin No. xiv which contains a sketch of the life 
and character of Gasner by his son, W. G. Gesner of New York. These 
together amply set forth and will serve to perpetuate the important 
work that was performed in the extreme eastern provinces of Canada 
by this geological pioneer. This work is not a mere list of the publish- 
ed books and papers of Gesner, but Dr. Matthew has added many dis- 
cussions and comparisons, with critical comments, apropos of the co- 
temporary literature. Not the least interesting is the history of the 
Gray wacke system of New Brunswick, the lower part of which in his 
last report (1843) Dr.* Gesner classed as Cambrian on account of the 
scarcity of organic remains. Gesner's geological map of a jjart of New 
Brunswick is reproduced in black characters. n. h. w. 
The Cretaceous clay marl exposiire at Clijfivood, N. Y. Arthur 
HoLLicK. (Trans. N. Y. Acad. Sci., xvi, Jan. 1897.) Some of the re- 
sults of the assiduous study of Mr. Holliek on the Cretaceous deposits 
of the Atlantic coast are here given. To the flora which has already 
been described Mr. Holliek adds a number of new species, n. h. w. 
PERSONAL AND SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 
Arctic Exploration. Lieut. Feury this year takes several 
parties to Greenland for scientific purposes, landing them at 
some points selected by themselves, while he goes farther 
north to initiate plans for a grand expedition next 3^ear in 
search of the pole by way of cape Sabine, and to procure the 
great mass of native iron which it was found impossible to 
handle last year. The parties who accompany this expedition 
are us follows: Prof. C. H. Hitchcock and a number of assist- 
ants who will spend the summer in the region of Ivigut for 
the purpose of glacial investigation and for the study of ruins 
of the old Norse colonies; R. W. Porter wiio goes to Kaffin 
land at Forbisher strait, who will remain for a year's explora- 
tion of the interior north of Forbisher bay and west of Cum- 
berland sound ; Charles vScluichert and David White for the 
study of the fossil localities of the Noursoak peninsula, and 
for the collection of fossils, a region renowned for the fossil 
flora described by Heer ; and others not for geological pur- 
poses. 
The geological society of America has taken favorable ac- 
tion, at the instigation of Lieut. Pearj^ looking to concerted 
eiforts for the more systematic survey of the northern coasts 
of North America. 
Prof. E. H. Williams, Jr., is makinga survey of the "Kan- 
san" drift in the vicinity of Warren, Pa., a continuation of 
his investigations begun in 1892. 
